Manhattan
230 Fifth
230 Fifth Ave., 20th fl., between 26th St. and 27th St.; 212-725-4300
Opening a few weeks ago with a party for Gael Greene’s Insatiable, the city’s largest rooftop bar—a palm-tree paradise boasting a 180-degree view of the city—is just half the story here: The mirrored walls in the downstairs lounge rival Studio 54 in sleaze appeal.
Club Standard
150 Varick St., near Vandam St.; 646-862-6117
In gutting the space formerly known as Flow, DJ Timmy Regisford and company are hoping to create a stripped-down utopia for househeads. To that end, they’ve installed the 15-year-old Shelter party on Saturday nights and another long-runner, Bassline, on Fridays. Junior Vasquez returns to the latter on June 16.
Katra
217 Bowery, between Prince and Rivington Sts.; 212-473-3113
Where hip-hop once popped at Mission, Euro-Arabic lounge music now beckons from this Moroccan club. Although the bi-level space is both airy and swank, the owners, who also run Taj, insist they’re aiming for a neighborly laid-back vibe.
Manor
73 Eighth Ave., between 13th St. and 14th St.; 212-463-0022
During the April 21 opening of the woody new club that was previously Pink Elephant, B-listers like Eric Balfour and Fabian Basabe eventually ceded the giant dance floor to the Meatpacking missies in designer jeans and stilettos. Wow, that was fast.
The Plumm
246 W. 14th St., between Seventh and Eighth Aves.
Although much hubbub ensued after Noel Ashman turned NA into a semi-private club, you don’t really have to be a Harrison Ford, a Susan Sarandon, or an Ivana Trump to dance on the stiletto-proof couches in the stripped-down, airier space. Just act like one.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn Sugar
289 Kent Ave. at S. 2nd St., Williamsburg
Last summer, the one-time truck-repair shop for Domino Sugar hosted one-offs by Dave Hollands and other turntablists on its rooftop and lofty second floor. A secret big-name D.J.’s set on July 4 will mark the debut of the finished ground floor, an industrial maze of ramps with a VIP lounge. Get a sneak-peek this Thursday when Turntables on the Hudson, Larry Tee, and a host of aerialists and video artists appear at Red Bull’s Ascension event.
Down South
125 Fifth Ave., between Sterling Pl. and St. John’s Pl., Park Slope; 718-230-0236
It may not be the most tasteful time to open a lounge that’s patterned after an army bunker, but this foxy foxhole beneath Southpaw serves as an important reminder: You’ve got to fight for your right to party.
K & M Bar
225 N. 8th St., at Roebling St., Williamsburg; 718-388-3088
Art Deco watering holes are ubiquitous in Williamsburg, but this new one in a former pierogi plant distinguishes itself with tap beers like La Chouffe and an impeccable indie rock soundtrack curated by the bar’s two musician owners.
Trout
100-102 Smith St., at Pacific St., Carroll Gardens; 718-935-0545
If and when the Gowanus Yacht Club is overrun, there’s now another Smith Street spot for beer and bivalves. Gravy restaurant’s patio bar is rigged with fishing rods and junkyard ephemera for your oyster-slurping delight.